medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (14. May) is the feast day of:
Corona (d. c. 175?) A legendary passio reports that Corona was the wife of
St. Victor. At the age of 16 she was forced to witness her husband's
execution, and then herself condemned to death---tied between two bent palm
trees that ripped her apart when released. Both Syria and Egypt are named
as her homeland. The veneration of Corona spread early and quickly,
especially in western Europe. Oddly, there are numerous pilgrimage sites
dedicated to this saint in Austria and Bavaria. And this is pretty sick:
in Austria she's the patron saint of the lottery.
Pontius (Pons) of Cimiez (d. mid-3rd cent.) The town of St-Pons in
southern France is named after this saint. The Roman Pontius (according to
legend a senator) was martyred in the diocese of Cimiez (southern France),
after fleeing persecution in Rome.
Bonifatios of Tarsus (d. 306) Tradition reports that Bonifatios was
commissioned by a wealthy Roman woman to go to Tarsus and find her relics
of martyrs. But he himself died a martyr's death there (in boiling oil).
B's relics made it back to Rome. Boniface, the apostle of the Germans,
took the name of this saint when he was sent on this day in 719 on his
mission to the Germans.
Pachomios the Elder (of Thebes) (d. 347) Pachomius is called the "father
of Egyptian monasticism." He composed the first known monastic rule,
drawing together inidividual ascetics into a community. Pachomios was born
in c. 290 in Upper Egypt, the child on non-Christian farmers. After a
period of compulsory military service, P. was baptized and became a
disciple of the anchorite Palaemon. In c. 320 he left his teacher,
however, and retreated to the Thebaid. By the end of his life, Pachomios
had founded nine monasteries for men and two for women.
Halvard (d. c. 1043) Halvard was a noble Norwegian. He was murdered in c.
1043, after defending a falsely accused woman, and the perpetrators of the
foul deed threw H's corpse into the see. It was fished out again, and H's
tomb in Oslo cathedral became a pilgrimage attraction.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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